Mortality Trends for Young Adults in Sweden in the Years 2000-2017

Overview

Journal Scand J Public Health

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Public Health

Date 2021 Mar 25

PMID 33764225

Citations 3

Authors

Gunnar Agren

Sven Bremberg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aim: Mental health problems in young people seem to be on the rise and more so in Sweden than in other locations. The aim was to compare the development of mortality rates for young adults in Sweden with Western Europe in total.

Methods: Young adults were defined as individuals aged 20-34 years and the study period was 2000-2017. Mortality data were derived from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Results: During the period 2000-2017, the mortality rate in young adults in Sweden stayed about the same, while in Western Europe as a whole the mortality rate decreased by 42%. The leading explanation for the unfavourable Swedish development was deaths due to drug use, mainly opioids, which increased by 60% during this period. The other major causes of death decreased both in Sweden and Western Europe, but decreased more slowly in Sweden. The differences in the rate of decrease between Sweden and Western Europe were for self-harm (27%), transport injuries (12%), unintentional injuries (31%) and for neoplasms (23%). The unfavourable development in Sweden resembled the development in the USA.

Conclusions:

Citing Articles

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